Topics - Deerslayer

This is a contraption I made up to enable me to play around with radio gear independent of having an aircraft sitting in front of me. It can be useful in learning about mixing and the peculiarities of any gear one may own.

Attached is a very crude video - I am just messing around with my web cam and Magix and I know very little about the latter.

Those who attended the November KRCM Meeting may have noticed our well-known recording artist (that means Secretary) handing out pairs of special flying gloves to a couple of the Members of the current Executive.

I was told that we received our little freebies as a sort of Thank You for being nice to Eddie the Wonder Doggie. How thoughtful!

It turns out that this was also a shameless promotional exercise for a new product. Here is the promo for the fantastic new Murdochers (attached):

My greatest want/need for r/c soaring is to have a variometer. No full-scale Glider Pilot would do without one and all sailplanes come equipped with one.

Dave Fasken, a KRCM resident electrickery genius, has spotted an RCGROUPS site that provides informationto build electronic varios and associated down-link RF. He and/or I will post some info in here as things progress. At this time, Dave has ordered the parts x2 and has consulted with the fellow who developed this system. Dave assures me that this project is now right up there at Priority 1 level , although I suspect that he has a few others at that same level

There are a few etiquette items involved in r/c soaring. A couple of these things are crucial, as they involve safety of others. Those involved in thermalling with others are brought over from the full-scale soaring environment and are designed to increase enjoyment for all, along with preventing mid-airs. This is an attempt to summarize.

* Keep away from "real" aircraft, i.e., human-carrying aircraft. Our r/c things are NOT aircraft, legally, and we are only allowed to operate in the Airspace provided we stay away from these folks. At KRCM, we are operating inside of the normal area where Ultralights are taking off and landing. Standard procedure for a powered aircraft at an Uncontrolled Airport or Aerodrome is to do a Left-hand circuit to set up for landing. With the Ultralight field's main runway being North-South and our prevailing winds being Southerly, that means we can expect traffic right around and above our normal flying area. You should also be aware that in the case of an engine problem necessitating a forced landing off the Ultralight aerodrome, the KRCM field is the only real choice available nearby.

Sometimes, particularly with sailplanes, we may be above where such traffic exists. If we fly above 700' AGL (Above Ground Level), we are intruding into En Route Airspace, and could encounter aircraft passing through, or perhaps sightseeing. The bottom line: If you see an aircraft, get down or get away from it, NOW! One problem, even a distraction to the Pilot, could result in a complaint and our losing our flying area! Note that we cannot really tell the relative vertical and horizontal distances between a model and a full-size aircraft due to the size difference and our vantage point being on the ground.

When thermalling, keep your turn in the same direction. Why? You will do better by adjusting/re-centering your turns than changing direction; you are being predictable and therefore have less chance of getting tangled up with another model - sailplane or powered model.

The first glider into a thermal sets the direction of turn, whether they are higher or lower than any others. If you are entering into what appears to be the same general area of lift, join in the same direction. This should be obvious.

If you are about to outclimb another sailplane, widen your turn in order to pass well to the outside of him. Driving up through the middle of the thermal greatly increases the chance of a mid-air and is un-nerving to the other fellow.

If you are flying in "ridge lift", such as often exists parallel to the tree line at the North of our field, keep well clear of the powered models which operate predominantly in that region. Try to make your turns at then ends of your runs away from the field.

We like to (some of us need to) sit in a comfy chair while flying r/c sailplanes. Take your chair out where you are quite visible to other pilots. Do not sit back at the clubhouse to fly. Others will be unaware that there is something lurking around up there, especially if you have been flying for a long time, and one of you may get a nasty surprise!

PLEASE - if you are flying a powered model, do not hassle sailplanes. That is inconsiderate and stressful to someone who is just trying to enjoy flying and not lose his aircraft. If you feel that the glider pilot is interfering with other traffic, please tell him.

The glider pilot must keep away from powered models and we ask that others let us enjoy our part of the sport, too.

Marion Siemonsen passed away on Monday. Below, you will find a link to the obituary.

I would like to offer a few thoughts:

For those who may not have known her, this was a great lady!

Marion's immediate family was practically the KRCM family: Rolly is one of the founding Members of KRCM, a Field Owner and arguably the strongest contributor of time and effort that we have; Mike has been a Member for many years, a terrific volunteer and hard worker on our behalf; Kevin was for many years a Member, having pretty much grown up at our field and he continues to strongly support our Fun Fly activities from his home in Connecticut; Heidi partially escaped the flying addiction, but at least one of her little people has frequently been seen in the company of Rolly and his flying machines - with Heidi's obvious enthusiastic support!

I first encountered Marion when she was a Nurse at DuPont, before my involvement with KRCM. Later on, I think it was, Jane and I met her pursuing yet another of her interests - she and Lady (one of a series of Siemonsen collie dogs) delivered papers during a period when #1 son was recovering from a little motorcycle mishap. She was very good at that job, also.

In the early days of our Club, the Fathers Day Fun Fly was the main Event of the year, with a lot of effort required of its small membership. Wives of many Members worked hard to prepare and help feed the participants. Of course, Marion was always in the forefront!

Marion was always at Rolly's side, despite his involvement in this crazy hobby - a fine example of "wife support".

We will miss her very much. We offer to Rolly and his terrific extended family our sympathy and any assistance possible during this sad time.

Disclaimer: Yes, this is me but No, you should not read too much into it. I am still a dedicated "slimer driver", but have been forced to bend a little bit by accepting electrickery to power one of more sailplanes.

Over at the Pro Bro site, there is a good question regarding calculating the requirements for an e-power system. The following reply made a lot of sense to me. I extracted it for posting in here, thinking that it may be of use to some others and/or generate some discussion on its validity. Here it is:

Your first question about prop selection and power can be answered with the understanding that so many of the variables of a power system are related. I start the process with the fact that Watts, Amps, and Volts are related.

Watts = Amps x VoltsAmps = Watts / VoltsVolts - Watts / Amps

If you know the Kv of the motor, and the efficiency of the motor, then all that is needed to calculate the RPMs is the ‘real’ volts available to the system, and the propeller constant. RPMs is important because it represents the ‘Work” performed by the system, which in physics is the amount of force it takes to move a specific object a certain distance over a certain amount of time. In our example, we’re talking about a prop with a specific constant (pK) with a specific diameter and pitch, moving at a specific revolutions per minute.

For propellers manufactured for electric motors, I have found this to be in the 1.01 to 1.10 range. APC props are usually about 1.03 and Xoar PJN props are in the 1.03 to 1.08 range and this may be due to the fact that wood props can vary in density since the material is not going to be as consistent as composites.

Let say that I have a 215Kv motor and I want to swing a 22x10 composite prop on 10 cells (~37v). Let’s also assume that the prop constant (pK) is 1.03 and the motor efficiency is 80%. With these variables, I can calculate the RPMs. Here’s the formula:

RPMs = (Volts*Kv)*(%KvE/100)

Volts = 37.0 (You can always measure volts to use the true value but 3.7v per cell is a raw estimate)Kv = 215Motor Efficiency = 80%

This is the amount of power required to turn a 22x10 prop with a pK of 1.03 to 6364 RPMs.Since we also know that W = A * v, then we can calculate the current actually used to drive the prop to 6364 RPMs:

2686W / 37v = 72.6 Amps-in

Now keep in mind that this is the amout of power and current used in the process, and not the amount of power and current going into the system. These values can be measured with any decent meter, but since they are related we can also calculate Watts-in and Amps-in.

This is closer to the value you will see peaking on your meter. Since we also know that W = A x V, then we can calculate the Amps-in:

3223W / 37v = 87.1 Amps

So the intended system, which is a 215Kv motor on 10 cells, swinging a 22x10 prop, will peak around 6364 RPMs, producing 3223 Watts, 2686 Watts at the prop, and pull 87.1 Amps. We also know that if 87.1 Amps are drawn and only 72.6 Amps are needed, then our current efficiency is (87.1 – 72.6) / 72.6, which is 17%.

We can also calculate pitch speed to estimate the airspeed in MPH:

MPH = (((Pitch / 12) * RPMs) * 60) / 5280MPH = 61.7

Since we also know that there are 746 Watts to 1 Horsepower, then we can estimate that the system is producing about 4.3 HP.

If you bring the prop size, pitch, RPMs, air temperature, and pK, to one of the online static thrust calculators, you will also find than this system produces about 12.25 kg of static thrust or 26.95 pounds.

In some instances, you may find the calculations to be closer to reality than the measured values because in most cases, we have an 8 kHz pulse going to the motor and the meter is 100 Hz. Much of what is actually happening goes unnoticed.

An incredible video! Make sure you read the write-up from the fellow who created it. Imagine what it would have been like for those folks on the balcony who could literally reach out and touch a wingtip as this machine was transported by them! You have to hand it to the folks at NASA and to those who operate and sponsor the Science Museum for getting this done - a logistical marvel.

There are several ways in which a device can be created which may be used to measure angular motion. The traditional mechanical gyro it one and is quite simple to understand. However, there are at least a couple of other, more recently developed, means of accomplishing the task.

Here is a really neat little explanation of one of these techniques. While the "gyro" which you may have attached to your r/c aircraft may not use this specific approach, that very well could be the case, as this chip is apparently embedded in things other than the iPhones.

Does anyone else find life to be a bit complicated ? ... especially if one gets too close to the whole e-flight world? Well, sit back, relax and have a look at this famous little clip. Things will seem to be a whole lot simpler afterward!

Awhile back, I told Coy about a little game that Danny and I used to play, starting about 25 years ago. I will also claim that we invented it

Yesterday, I found out that Coy and Merrill had been playing our game. Big grins!

We call the game "Pass the Box". It is fun and it is perhaps the best way that you can really develop your flying skills and/or learn about a new airplane. Here is how it works:

"A" takes off, does a short climb-out and a partial turn away from the flight line. He then cuts the power back to idle and hands the Box to "B".

Now, "B" has to complete the pattern and touch down without changing the throttle setting (unless it is to save the airplane!).

As soon as the wheels touch, "B" will throttle up and climb out, just as "A" did earlier, complete the climb-out, throttle back and hand over the Box to "A".

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It is simple. The routine goes on and on. Of course, as things progress, we tend to really get into the swing of things. The patterns tend to become tighter and more precise. You will build up your skills at an incredible rate.It is also a great way to entertain the Peanut Gallery. (Perhaps even impress the wimmens? Not very likely...)

This little game does not put an airplane at risk; you play at your comfort level and just enjoy.

Well, I suppose you could call it a hobby - it certainly must be a lot of work, but with a great deal of satisfaction, too. Gary Gorr, whom we mostly see at the field when the time comes for folks to step up for a Work Party or to help get a Fun Fly going, has a very busy life. Here is a nice article about Gary and Carole:

P.S.: Gary has been featured in the Whig numerous times, as Spring rolls around and reporters seek out his opinions on the maple syrup season's well-being. He has quite a (not so) little operation going out there and wins lots of awards for the quality of his products. He is also a pretty good carpenter! (Well, neither the KRCM clubhouse nor my family room have fallen down, yet!)

This is an item that is mostly directed toward Electric aircraft, although part of it is applicable to Glow as well.

Having an electric airplane sitting around armed, or having to retrieve it from the field or elsewhere while armed, and with the Tx on is an accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately, some folks know this from experience. Bumping the Tx while carrying a live system, having the Tx tip over onto the sticks, accidentally moving the Throttle while adjusting other Menu items are all good reasons to have this feature. Or perhaps you just want to make sure that, your sailplane is not grinding along with the motor running and wasting battery power while you think you are soaring. Yet, you won't find a How To in the "book of instructions" for many radios.

I want a switch (Gear, in my case) that, when thrown, will override the Throttle and prevent a motor from starting (Electric) or, which will instantly kill the motor (Electric) or engine (Glow, provided that the Throttle will close completely and stop fuel/air).

A lot of us have DX7 radios; the DX8 and many others may have a specific feature availble to accomplish what I want and perhaps someone else could comment?

Now, with many radios, such as the DX7, there are a number of switches hanging around on the thing. There are 2 that I frequently use and want to instinctively feel when I want to. One is the MIX, which I use it to couple Flaperons/Spoilerons into Elevator on most aircraft and now the GEAR switch to Kill the motor/engine. I fit a little piece of fuel tubing over each to make them very distinctive to my fingers.

Note: I don't expect certain folks to know about this "fuel tubing" whereof I speak, but any of us Slimer Drivers could probably help you out in that department

I think that we should adopt this as the official theme song for the Walk of Shame. Perfect for those times at one of our major Fun Fly's, when we have the PA up and running. Sure to make the owner/pilot feel much better as he trudges out into the bush, eh?

Coming this Saturday and Sunday, August 18/19, over 100 Pilots and an expected 200+ large r/c aircraft will converge upon the KRCM Field. Expect to see a number of them start to arrive by Wednesday, as the reputation of our facilities and the general atmosphere of this Club is well known. Folks from far and wide love to camp and fly here. Our attendees come from all over Ontario and Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and ...?

Even if you do not have a giant airplane to fly, you will find something of interest this weekend. The event is non-competitive - just fun flying of all kinds. You will have the opportunity to examine the aircraft up close and ask questions of the owners/pilots. Bring a lawn chair and relax (don't forget the sunscreen, as we have put in our order for moderate but sunny weather for both days).

Of course, we operate a well-stocked canteen on both days, starting with breakfast fare and featuring BBQ items.

The Saturday evening banquet (this year it is roast beef) awaits the first 100 or so people who buy the $15 meal ticket. These go on sale Saturday morning and are usually sold out within an hour or two, so get here early!

Although the official IMAA event concludes around 5 p.m. on Saturday, there is still an evening of flying for any type and size of aircraft. Expect to see some night flying, as airplanes with LED lighting are springing up all over and there are quite a few pilots who like to play around with them.

Well, last weekend was our annual Zone Fun Fly and what a weekend is was! No one had to worry about getting cold on Saturday - it was a tad on the warm side, to say the least. There were almost 100 Pilots registered and some spectacular aircraft, accompanied by superb flying. As usual, "Larry" the photographer was on hand and has posted his work on line:

I strongly recommend that you bookmark his site, as you will find the highest quality pictures of most major which happen in our Zone. Keep an eye (or two) open for our IMAA Meet, coming up soon. Presumably, Larry will be here to provide his usual high level of coverage.